The invention relates to soup garnishes based on the egg royale technique, in particular storable, royale-like soup garnishes for dry soups consisting of a structurally uniform protein sponge made of compositions obtained by coagulation of native protein and raising agent. The invention further relates to a process for the production of such soup garnishes and an extrusion nozzle for carrying out the process.
The soup garnish of the invention is a product dry in all components having high storage stability without cooling, short rehydration time and adequate stability to boiling.
Many soup garnishes on the market are semimoist products which must be stored frozen until preparation. Known products are filled and moist or dried noodle products such as wonton and Pirojhok or Ravioli, Tortellini and Manicotti, with only the first-mentioned being produced by coextrusion, the others by folding or injection. In the case of these known products, there is a clear distinction in consistency and composition of casing and filling, which also means, inter alia, that the filling remains completely enclosed by the casing until consumption. The soup garnishes of the invention are distinguished from these known products by the fact that they consist of a structurally uniform composition, the filling being open to both sides. The different filling and casing paste compositions of the soup garnishes of the invention differ in flavor and/or color, but both consist of a protein sponge, and therefore represent a structurally homogeneous product, so that there is also no risk that the exposed filling will escape from the casing.
Swiss Patent 644253 discloses a process for the production of foods which contain coagulating proteins and an apparatus for carrying out this process. In this process, two or more concentric tubes can be used and various materials can be coagulated therewith so as to layer one over the other. In this manner, egg rolls are produced, for example, which consist of a coagulated egg yolk core with a casing of coagulated egg white.
EP-A1-236134 discloses an extrusion nozzle for the extrusion of a paste, an outer expanded paste layer being coextruded with two filling materials.
EP-B1-168255 describes a process and an apparatus for coaxial extrusion for the formation of a continuous food product having different inner and outer components. In the case of the extrusion nozzle used here, the inner extrusion orifice is slightly offset towards the interior with respect to the outer extrusion orifice.
A product corresponding in structure to a protein sponge is royale known from cuisine, a soup garnish made of whisked, seasoned egg composition which has been made to set in a water bath. In hot stock, the royale is intended to retain its generally diced shape and not to disintegrate or fall apart immediately. EP-B-469 176 discloses a process for producing a dehydrated coagulated product in which the starting material is dehydrated to a dry matter content of greater than 90% under conditions which are suitable to give the starting material a porous structure, whereupon the dehydrated material is coagulated by treatment with moist air, with retention of the initial porosity. The starting product can comprise an egg base which is coagulated by this process. On the one hand, dehydrating such a starting material without coagulation is difficult and, moreover, coagulation of a starting material having a dry matter content of greater than 90% does not result in a satisfactory royale.
The applicant's German Patent Application 195 35 581.4 describes a process for producing royale by coagulation of a composition containing whole egg, a premix containing more than 10 percent by weight of moisture being produced from milk powder, whole egg, raising agent and seasonings, this being agglomerated and applied in thin sheeting compressed by a roller to a steam belt on which the composition layer is treated with hot steam for a time sufficient for coagulation of the egg white to take place, whereupon the homogeneous royale composition formed is diced and the dice are dried.
A process using different paste compositions which nevertheless have a structurally uniform protein sponge structure has not been disclosed to date.